Now you can use Google’s $35 media streaming stick to watch video from three of the most popular online video sites in the US.
Google’s Chromecast now works with YouTube, Netflix, and Hulu Plus.
The Hulu Plus app is available for Android and iOS, and requires a $7.99 per month subscription after a free 1 week trial.
Notably absent are the dozens of other online video services supported by Roku and devices designed to let you stream internet video to your TV. There’s no support yet for Amazon Instant Video, HBO Go, Vudu, Crackle,
Amazon, Vudu, HBO Go, Vimeo, DailyMotion, Crackle, or Crunchyroll, for instance.
Still, the Chromecast is gradually getting more useful. And the most appealing things about it are still the low price and the ease of use. Pick one up for $35, plug it into your TV’s HDMI port and connect a power source, and walk through a very simple setup app on your PC or phone and you’re good to go.
Then you don’t have to learn to use a new remote control to navigate — just fire up the YouTube, Netflix, Hulu Plus, or Google Play Movies app on your phone or tablet or bring up the website on your PC and you can send a video to your TV with the tap of a button.
Once Google releases the official SDK for the Chromecast, it’s likely we’ll see support additional apps. For instance, PlayOn has already demonstrated its solution for streaming content from dozens of streaming video services by routing them through a PC. But PlayOn cannot release that app until Google gives developers the go-ahead to launch apps based on the Google Cast SDK.
It doesn’t surprise me that the paid players are in this first.
I’m still disappointed at the lack of flexibility in this device however.
If I have a Chromecast and a good mini pc on the same table I’m going for the mini pc every time. Cheapcast and other apps have seen to that.
Speaking as someone who actually owns both a PC dedicated to watching content on the television and a Chromcast, I disconnected the PC weeks ago.